The field of respiratory therapy is growing in the U.S. as the population ages and becomes more susceptible to respiratory problems. The rate of increase in Michigan is projected to be nearly 20% higher than the national average.
The Michigan Department of Technology, Management, & Budget projects a 22.7% increase in the demand for respiratory therapists in the state between 2010 and 2020. The Department predicts a particularly high rate of increase in the Grand Rapids area, with an expected 25.6% growth rate. The rate in the Ann Arbor area is projected to be 22%.
Labor market information from this department indicates that 3,880 respiratory therapists were employed throughout Michigan in 2013. Data on metropolitan divisions in Michigan indicated that 840 respiratory therapists were employed in the Detroit division, while 890 were employed in the Warren area.
The average respiratory therapist salary in Michigan was $52,960 in 2013. Salaries varied from $41,060 for those in the lowest 10% of this salary bracket to $66,710 for those in the top 10% of this field. Average and 90th percentile respiratory therapist salaries were particularly high in the Lansing area in 2013 as shown below:
Graduates of Michigan’s respiratory care training programs are well prepared to find employment in the state. According to the Commission on the Accreditation for Respiratory Care, 88% of the state’s 2013 respiratory therapy graduates found jobs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a detailed breakdown by city of 2013 respiratory therapist salaries in Michigan: